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Monday, June 08, 2009

For obvious reasons, this hits home. Publius of ObsidianWings isn't a "blog buddy" by any stretch, but he WAS an anonoblogger like me, for reasons like mine.

Well, Ed Whelan over at NRO decided because he didn't like him he would out him. Nasty business, and it is obvious that Ed does not understand what blogg'n is. It isn't reporting, it isn't journalism - it is blogg'n.

I'll let you read the details from the left and the right. There is ongoing commentary at The Corner as well that you can follow. Volokh here. Instapundit here, and Cap'n Ed at Hot Air here. Greyhawk is on target here.

I have watched the outing of other anonbloggers and know the type that like to out. With the exception of those who deserve outing, those who out normal anonobloggers are usually thin skinned, envy filled @55h@les who would rather destroy someone else than let their ideas succeed in the marketplace of ideas. The personality of outers are just a smidge close to trolls; same angry, bitter, dead-tree focused people. I don't think Ed is like that -- I just think he let Publius live rent free in his head too long.

Ed may have had some complaints, but they were petty and he let Publius get under his skin and to behave worse then the complaints he had about Publius. He did not understand the reasons for anonoblogg'n and the second and third level effects of the outing - people have their reasons. What an incredibly selfish act of intellectual vandalism outing is -- and I believe is in this case.

One thing about blogg'n is that it is fairly well self regulating. If you and your ideas are wrong or just plain boring, you don't get much readership. If your ideas or wrong or bad, they are discredited with more speech by others. The truth shows itself. Lies are proven lies by truth. Lies die.

When I started blogg'n, I made some mistakes and overreached in my anonymity - mostly out of not sourcing correctly, i.e. being lazy (too trusting and new at this sport in '04 'ya know). I apologized and deleted the posts and moved on mad at myself. Now days, there is nothing I post that I would hang my head in shame at. There are reasons to out a blogger though.

A blogger that intentionally and with known wrong information sets out to destroy someone, probably deserves to be outed. Same with a stalker. Someone that breaks OPSEC or other legal laws, sure, out them. Someone who makes and error, is given unquestionable evidence and refuses to make a correction in a troll like manner, probably. Besides that, outing just because you don't like the guys ideas or that he makes you uncomfortable with his criticism is just lame. Outing someone because you can't take the rough and tumble of the sharp elbowed marketplace of ideas (where people have a right to be wrong) is just lame ---- I think Ed is closer to this.

If you out though, be careful. You will draw fire on your own position.

Anonoblogg'n has a long tradition in our culture back to the pamphleteers and The Federalist Papers. No problem with it -- neither should anyone else who likes free speech.

Will I be anon forever? No; but as long as I wish not to provide a distraction for my Sailors and want to avoid bothering my ISIC; Buddhah willing I will be.

There will be a time and a place when I will break cover, but now is not that time. Hopefully it will be at a time and place of my choosing; sooner more than later. I think I have been fair enough to my critics that no one balanced will feel the need to throw a snit, but who knows. For every nasty email I get, I get 100 that are nice. For every nasty email I get about a post, I get 10 that "disagree without discord." I think my front porch doesn't get people all batty ... except for the Diversity Bullies, they are the nastiest.

Anyway, hopefully fate will allow me to come out at a time of my choosing. If not, bad on you.